Portable stationery-case



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. P. TANNATT.

PORTABLE STATIONERY CASE.

N0. 361,847. Patented Apr. 26, 1887.

m 0 T N E V N I WITNESSES .ZTMLM D llYl/Vu ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. mmym m hor'. Washingmn, n. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. P. TANNATT.

I PORTABLE STATIONERY GASE- No. 361,847. Patented Apr. 26, 1887.

. ITNESSES: INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS, mwwumo n nw, Wnsmqgiolkd. Q

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSHUA F. TANNATT, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

PORTABLE STATIONERY-OAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,847, dated April 26, 1887.

Application filed February 17, 1887. Serial No. 228,009. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSHUA F. TANNATT, of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Portable Stationery-Case, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists in certain constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts in portable cases designed to hold various articles of stationery for individual use both when at home or elsewhere and when traveling, the whole forming a general receptacle for articles used by letter-writers and others, and being so constructed as to adapt it either for use on the table or by suspending it from the wall; also, so that, no matter how thrown or roughly handled, the articles it contains will remain in place, substantially as hereinafter described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of the stationery-case closed; and Fig. 2, a similar view of the same open and when in po sition as suspended from a nail in the wall, also exposing various articles of stationery which it contains. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are views upon a larger scale, Fig. 3 being a trans verse section upon thelinex :r in Fig. 1 of the case closed; Fig. 4, a sectional view of a portion of the lid of the case with attached post agestamp holder; Fig. 5, a similar view of a portion of the lid of the case with an attached calendar; Fig. 6, a partly broken plan view of a slide-box used within the case forholding an ink-bottle and other writing articles.

The case itself, which is of rectangular ob long construction, and may be made of wood or other suitable material, finished externally with plush, leather, or otherwise, and suitably lined, consists ofa body, A, and hingedlid B.

The lid 13 only covers a portion of the body, being hinged on top, as at a a, to the body at a distance from its back, thereby leaving a closed space or chamber, 1), for the remainder of the width of the body, and the lid and body being constructed to form an angular division where they meet, such division incliningin an upward direction from the front of the case, as

at c. This construction gives a more convenient opening of the lid upon the top of the body and a better and more convenient exposure of the articles within the case. Ahinged .fastening, d, on the front of the body, and stud e on the lid, with which said fastening engages, serve to hold the lid closed when required.

The case may be used either with its bottom resting upon a table or other flat surface, or it may be suspended, as shown in Fig. 2, with'its bottom resting against the wall and its lid thrown down and back, an eye1et,f, being arranged in the central portion of the front of the bottom of the ease for hanging the case upon a nail, g, in the wall. The exterior of the bottom of the body I prefer to make smooth to form a writing-surface when the case is in a flat position and inverted for the purpose.

The interior of the case is speciallyfitted and adapted to hold particular articles of stationery, and so that when said articles are in place they will be retained in position, no matter how the case when closed is thrown or handled. Thus the body A, with its chamber or space I) in the rear, serves to hold note-paper and blotting-paper h of about the same length as the body and of a width which leaves the eyelet f uncovered and a space, 2', back of the front edge portion of the body. It also serves to hold upon the top of the paper h, at each end of the body, packs 7c of envelopes or postalcards, which likewise stop shortof the forward edge portionof the body, so as to preserve the continuity of the space 2'. A pack of plain cards, Z, may also be placed upon either of these packs la and partly within the chamber 1). Between either of these packs in is introduced a removable slide-box, O, of a width when in place to keep the packs is up to their places against the ends of the body. This slide-box is constructed of an outer open-ended box part, m, and a sliding interior receptacle or drawer, 42, adapted to carry an inkstand, D, at its forward end of a height, including its stopper or cap 0, so that when the drawer n is pushed within the box part m said inkstand or bottle will prevent its fully closing, as shown in Fig. 3, thus leaving the inkstand exposed for use when the slide-box O is in its place with its rear end within the chamber b. Said slide-box O, which also serves to carry rubber, pens, sealing-wax, or other articles of stationery within it, as shown in Fig. 6, which represents the receptacle a as partly drawn out, is of a lengththat when in place in the body A and chamber b the protruding end of the receptaclen and the inkstand D stops short some distance from the front of the body A, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, for a purpose that will be hereinafter explained. This SliClG-bOX'O may, when required, be wholly removed from the main case for independent use upon a table or desk.

The inner face of the lid'B of the case is prov ded with a postagestamp holder, which consists of a strap or pocket, E, stitched to the lining of said lid before gluing it, and adapted to receive down within it, through its open sides, a number of postage'stamps, a, of either the same or different denominations in sets lying side by side and discernible through perforations b in the strap, E, which perforations also serve for the insertion of the end of the finger to slide out or remove a postage-stamp, as required, from under the strap.

A calendar, G, made up of a series of detachable leaves suitably cemented at their edges and secured to each other and a back card, 0, by awire staple or fastening, is also arranged upon the inner surface of the lid B, and is secured thereto by patches d of mucilage applied Within apertures e in the lining of the lid to the main material of the lid, and so thatthe back of the card 0 will be secured by said patches to the lid.- This mode of attachment provides for the ready removal of the calendar when necessary to replace it by another.

Along the front portion of the interior of the lid B provision is made fora rule or ruler, H, a paper cutter or folder, I, a pen-holder, J, and a pencil, L. The rule or ruler H and paper-folder I lie up against the front of the lid B, and are held in place with facility for removal, partly by a wire turn-button, M, and partly, if desired, by a thin or reduced extension, 8, of aprojection, S, secured upon the inner face of the lid. The pen-holder and pencil are held down against the lid or extension 8 with facility for'removahwhen required, by a turn-button, R, pivoted at e to the projection S. To prevent this turn button R from working loose, its pivot e is passed through a small rubber bearing block, 6", which is forced into a recess in the projection S, and held compressed therein by clinching the inner end of the pivot e, and providing it with a head on its outer end,which holds down on the button. This rubber block produces a permanent elastic friction on the button.

The projection S is of such a size and so arranged that when the lid B is closed saidprojection answers another purpose in addition to carrying the turn-button R-namely, of lapping over or in front of the cap or stopper 0 of the inkstand D, and so keeping the slidebox 0 in place. The rule or ruler H and paper-folder Iare also then received within the space in front of the forward ends of the envelopes or packs 7c.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. In a portable case for holding stationery, the body A, constructed to form a rear chamher, I), and provided with an aperture or eyelet, f, in the forward portion of its bottom, in combination with the lid B, hinged as at a a, and constructed,in connection with said body, to form an inclinedjunction, 6, when the case is closed, substantially as specified.

2. In a portable case for holding stationery, the slide-box O, composed of an open-ended box part, m, and drawer n, in combination with the inkstand or bottle D, constructed to project above the drawer, and stopped by the box part from its'passage within the latter, essentially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. In a portable case for holding stationery, thecombination,withthebodyAanditshinged lid B, of the projection S on the inner face of the lid, the turn-button R, pivoted to said projection, and the slide-box O, with its exposed and projecting inksland'D, whereby said projection S serves the double purpose of carrying said button and of retaining the slide-box in position within the case, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a portable case for holding stationery, the combination,with the hinged lid B, of the turn-button R, the projection S, the headed and clinched pivot e, and the rubber frictioublock 6, essentially as described.

5. In a portable case for holding stationery, the combinatiomwith the hinged lid B, of the turn-buttons or holding devices M R, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. In aportable case for holding stationery, the combination,with the lid B, of the postage stamp holder composed of a strap, E, secured at'its ends to said lid, and provided with one or more apertures, I), substantially as de scribed.

JOSHUA F. TANNATT.

lVitnesses: I

HENRY W. Boswonrrr, CHARLES H. BARROWS. 

